End of Health Boards in N Ireland

Northern Ireland's health department has released a timetable for phasing out the existing health bodies.

From September this year Primary-care-led local commissioning groups will be set up in Northern Ireland and will work towards becoming fully operational in April 2008.

By May this year five new health and social services trusts will be established, they will shadow 18 existing hospital trusts until these are abolished in April 2007.

The region's four health and social services boards will be replaced in April 2008 by strategic health and social services authority. A chief executive for this will be in place by May 2006 and the organisation will be operational in April 2008.